On paper the Outlander series

[hopefulpuffin]

should have been right up my alley. Time travel. Love story. Man in a kilt (am I excused for this being an American?).

But.

I hated it. I plowed through the first book thinking it'd get better. Then I thought I'd try the second book thinking it'd get better. I finally gave up.

So.

Now I'm looking for some recommendations. Preferably a series. Preferably some sort of fantasy/time travel/supernatural element combined with romance and better writing. The kilt is completely optional.

I've got a depressing paper to write over the next couple of weeks to finish up an online class and I want to have my kindle ready to go when it's finally over.

not a series, but Barbara Erskine?

I quite enjoyed Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy. It covers time travel, fantasy, supernatural. I wouldn't say they are brilliantly written but they are easy to read and the historical element is interesting. The romance is probably the weakest element to the books.

I have just read the first Hunger Games book. That was quite good.

I like The All Souls Trilogy as well.

Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Starting with. Northern Lights. Not exactly time travel but close enough. A bit hard to get into but well worth it and beautifully written.

Thanks for the recommendations.

I've read the All Souls Trilogy. I thought the first book was strongest and they got weaker as they went along. The last one I finished because I felt obligated to. Although all were better, in my opinion, than Outlander.

I also broke down and read the Hunger Games books this past winter. I really did enjoy them - I also like apocolyptic/zombie type stuff. I've got Station 11 on my wish list.

The Erskine books look like a definite possibility.

I'll check out the His Dark Materials too. I'd prefer to move away from YA though.

Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series? No time travel, but hints of the supernatural here and there - fortune telling type of stuff. Scottish, but no kilts.

I absolutely LOVE Outlander

(And therefore misses the point of the thread )

I love the Jodi Taylor series of St Mary's books

Also Connie Willis writes some brilliant time travel books

just remembered another one - A Stitch in time by Amanda James

It's YA, but what about The Dark Is Rising? Six books.

I second the Dark is Rising series of books by Susan Cooper

I'm in HUGE trouble! They all look good and have gone on my wish list.

I'm going to save The Dark Is Rising series to read with DS. Do you think they'd be okay for a 7 yo? He's really enjoyed the How to Train Your Dragon series on audio (as have I) and enjoys Roald Dahl too.

Commonsensemedia.org says 9 is the best age as there is some violence, I read them as an adult so can't say how scary they are to a child

Thanks for that f1fan2001.

Amazon suggested 8 and up. They'll just have to stay on the wish list a bit longer then. He is something of a sensitive soul. He was very upset when Betamax "died" in Big Hero 6 (the SECOND time we watched it).

if you like time travel you might enjoy Time and Again by Jack Kinney. it is set on New York so there are no kilts but it u s a wonderful story.

Not really time travel but have you tried Jasper Fforde? The Thursday Next series starts with The Eyre Affair

I love outlander because it is sooooo ridiculous. Just totally silly. I have a weak streak a mile wide for 'trash' - as long as its well written trash. I get really angry with 50 shades, twilight, or Jackie Collins for that reason. I think we may be at opposite ends of the reading taste matrix, but if I had to reccomend stuff that gets you through exams etc, I would say:
Jilly cooper. No fantasy, terrible morals, but terribly funny and good plotting.
The took by Daniel o mallet. Kind of a cross between Phillip Pullman and jasper fforde. It starts with a girl waking up with no memory of anything. There's a letter in her pocket that begins 'the body you are wearing used to be mine'..... Highly reccomended.
Terry Pratchett. Because ... Well, because.
David aaranovich- the rivers of London. Sort of a supernatural whodunnit. Gory but good.
Hope this helps!

Sorry - baby crying dies not help typing! The took is actually called the rook, by Daniel o malley.

wwbuffydo, I don't think we're at opposite ends of the spectrum. We'll just disagree about Outlander! Because trust me, I like my trash too! Last summer was the Summer of Sookie Stackhouse (I was late to the party, there) and the summer before was Game of Thrones. And when my neighbors ask what I'm reading, lately (in addition to the Japanese history for class) I've had to mumble something along the lines of, "well, it's a steampunk/supernatural/romance mashup." Then they go back to discussing Nicholas Sparks.

I've read Eyre Affair and really enjoyed it - I was saving the rest of Fforde in case I couldn't find anything else (and it's going to be a loooooong summer).

I just had a look at Time and Again and The Rook. They're both on the ol' wish list!

Back, a long, long time ago, I'd read some of Terry Pratchett. I may have to revisit Discworld.

The Rivers of London/PC Grant looks good too. Amazon threw me for a minute because it looks like the first one got a name change for us Americans. We get Midnight Riot.

It definitely looks like my kindle will be busy!

I really liked 'Shades Of Grey' by Jasper Fforde (although it was a bit embarrassing when people thought it was those other books ) It's most frustrating that he hasn't yet delivered the promised sequel, as there's a bit of a cliff-hanger ending. I quite enjoyed his Nursery Crime ones as well - a bit daft, but witty and well-plotted.

Japanese history? Ooh- have you tried Shogun? Its fantastic! Blockbuster pageturner about an English adventurer in imperial Japan in the 18th century- I loved it. I think you're right- perhaps we're more similar than first impressions suggest! I love finding reading common ground. Please please give jilly a try too- its as far as can be from steam punk, but for the English upper middle classes shagging their way around the show jumping circuit in the 70s you can't beat it. It sounds and is terribly out of date and sordid but you get the impression Jilly is laughing at herself harder then you ever could. I'll forgive most things in fiction as long as the author is obviously having fun and not dissapearing up their own bottom. Hope this all helps!!

Oh outlander is dreadful.

Have you tried The Merlin trilogy by Mary Stewart ? She is a master storyteller.

I loved jilly cooper. Hated outlander, I actually laughed at it and then felt bad

Barbara erskine lady of hay, child of the Phoenix etc were brilliant, although her later stuff I didn't enjoy quite so much.

Tastes change though don't they?

Along with jilly cooper I also read and loved Harold Robbins and that Barbara Taylor Bradford one......?

Lace I loved too by Shirley Conrad. Didn't she write one too about a plane crash?

Ooooh I'm all nostalgic now

Is there any sci-fi/time-travel in Outlander at all beyond the initial premise? Or is she basically just stuck in the past with no toiletries or penicillin, avoiding the unwanted sexual attentions of men in kilts?

Conran!!!

Also I guess I've just outed myself as a bit old